NPTEL Chemical Mass Transfer Operation 1

MODULE 3: MASS TRANSFER COEFFICIENTS

LECTURE NO. 3
3.4 CORRELATION FOR CONVECTIVE MASS TRANSFER

COEFFICIENT
In this section various correlations that are used to estimate the convective mass transfer coefficients for various cases are presented. The various correlations are generally formed in terms of different dimensionless groups associated with the mass transfer. The definitions of mostly useful dimensionless groups associated with the mass transfer are given in Table 3.1 as follows:
Table 3.1: Dimensionless groups for mass transfer:

Name of dimensionless groups Reynolds number (Re)

Definition of group

Significance of group

ul
DAB

Ratio of inertia force to viscous force Ratio of molecular diffusivity of momentum to molecular diffusivity of mass transfer

Schmidt number (Sc)

Sherwood number (Sh)

k g pBM RTl kc pBM l , , PD AB PD AB

kc l k y pBM RTl , , etc. PD AB DAB

Ratio of total mass transfer rate to mass transfer by molecular diffusion Ratio of product of buoyancy forces and inertia forces to

Grashof number (GrD)

gl 3

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NPTEL Chemical Mass Transfer Operation 1

square of viscous force Peclet number (PeD) Re. Sc,

ul DAB

Ratio of inertia forces to mass transfer by molecular diffusion

Stanton number (StD)

Sh/(Re.Sc), Sh/PeD

Ratio of total mass transfer rate to inertia forces

3.4.1 Correlation of mass transfer coefficients for a single sphere 3.4.1.1 Mass transfer coefficients for a single sphere in case of

natural convection
In presence of natural convection the mass transfer from single sphere were studied by Steinberger and Treybal (1960) and they recommended the mass transfer coefficient as follows:
Sh Shnc 0.347(Re Sc0.5 )0.62

(3.34)

In the range of 1 < Re < 3104 and 0.6 < Sc < 3200
Shnc 2.0 0.569(GrD Sc)1 / 4

(3.35)

in the range of GrDSc < 108 and

Shnc 2.0 0.0254(GrD Sc)1 / 3 Sc0.244

(3.36)

in the range of GrD Sc > 108

3.4.1.2

Mass transfer coefficients for a single sphere in case of

forced convection
Different investigators have performed the experiment on the mass transport from a single sphere and developed correlations based on mass transfer in the

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NPTEL Chemical Mass Transfer Operation 1

environment of forced convection along with the consideration of mss transfer by molecular diffusion in the general form of:
Sh Sh0 m Ren Sc1 / 3

(3.37)

where m and n are correlating constants. As per Bird et al. (1960), for low Reynolds number, the effects of natural convection is negligible which results Sherwood number theoretically to a value of 2.0. Then the generalized correction becomes:
Sh 2.0 m Ren Sc1 / 3

(3.38)

At Reynolds numbers ranging from 2 to 12000 and Schmidt number ranging from 0.6 to 2.7, Froessling (1939) and Evnochides and Thodos (1959) developed the mass transfer coefficient for a single sphere and represented as follows:
Sh 2.0 0.552 Re1 / 7 Sc1 / 3

(3.39)

3.4.2 Correlation of mass transfer coefficients for flat plates

There are several investigations in literature regarding the evaporation from a free liquid surface or the sublimation from a flat solid surface into air stream under both laminar and turbulent conditions. Wilty et al. (1984) developed correlations for the average mass transfer coefficient during evaporations from a flat solid surface of characteristic length of L under laminar and turbulent conditions as follows: at laminar condition and Re < 3105
Sh 0.664 Re1 / 2 Sc1 / 3

(3.40)

at turbulent condition and Re > 3105

Sh 0.036 Re4 / 5 Sc1 / 3

(3.41)

The Reynolds number and the Sherwood number are defined based on the characteristic length l. The range of Schmidt number for the above correlations is 0.6< Sc < 2500.

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